Photo: Chelsey Mutter

One of many dispensaries closed Tuesday

Marijuana shops on Westside Road will remain closed today yesterday’s mass closure.

The Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General confirmed that the Community Safety Unit (CSU) conducted an inspection of the so-called Greenway near Vernon yesterday.

Speculation about the reason for the closure continues to circulate in the community, but officials say they cannot provide information or comment on any details about the measures taken.

Instead, it offered an overview of the actions CSU has taken against unlicensed marijuana retailers and producers under the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act (CCLA).

“The aim from the beginning was to ensure voluntary compliance; however, we have been very clear that CSU will take a progressive enforcement approach against those who continue to operate without a license,” the ministry said in an email.

“Increasing enforcement action is determined on a case-by-case basis and takes into account factors such as public safety, the integrity of the legal market, and partner and community concerns.”

Black market marijuana and products not approved by Health Canada have been sold in stores for years. despite protests from legal marijuana store operators.Therefore, it is currently unclear what led to this pressure. Some stores also sell psilocybin mushrooms. It is not tolerated by police in the Okanagan other than as a precautionary measure.

Castanet reached out to the Okanagan Indian Band for information, but communications officer Nick Nilsen said the band deferred questions to the ministry.

The ministry also noted that the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act applies across the province, including on lands managed by First Nations. All of the nearby cannabis stores are on OKIB land, but no enforcement has been taken against other reserved cannabis stores in the area.